THE Sandiganbayan on Monday allowed former President and now Lakas Rep. Gloria Arroyo of Pampanga to leave her detention for four days during the holidays.
The Sandiganbayan, in a three-page ruling, granted Arroyo to leave her detention from 10 a.m. of December 23 to 2 p.m. of December 26 “in the spirit of the Yuletide season and for compassionate and humanitarian considerations.”
In a motion filed on December 1 by Arroyo’s lawyer, Modesto Ticman, the former President asked the court to be allowed to stay in her home in La Vista Subdivision in Quezon City from December 23, 2014 to January 3, 2015 to celebrate Christmas and New Year with her family and relatives.
Since 2012, Arroyo has been detained at Veterans Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City following the filing of a plunder case which stemmed from the alleged misuse of P366-million intelligence funds of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.
She will get to celebrate Christmas in the company of her family in her home in La Vista Subdivision in Quezon City for the first time in three years.
“Wherefore, the subject motion of accused-movant is partially granted and accused-movant is allowed to celebrate Christmas with her family… at her residence at 14 Badjao Street, La Vista, Quezon City,” said the ruling written by Associate Justice Rodolfo Ponferrada, acting chairman of the angigraft court’s First Division.
The ruling was concurred in by Associate Justices Alex Quiroz and Rafael Lagos.
The Sandiganbayan, aside from the spirit of Christmas, is also “inclined to grant the motion” in light of the forthcoming visit of Pope Francis, who “is the personification of mercy and compassion.”
The court said Arroyo will shoulder the expenses of her transfer procedures.
The court, however, prohibited the former President from using cellular telephones and the Internet, as well as granting interviews with the media.
The ruling of the Sandiganbayan, meanwhile, was welcomed by the camp of Arroyo, saying the decision was consistent with justice as Arroyo has not yet been convicted of any crime.
“We are grateful to the court for showing compassion and partiality granting furlough on humanitarian grounds,” said her counsel, lawyer Laurence Arroyo.
“The court’s decision is wholly consistent with justice. We must empahasize, if only to put things in context, that former President Arroyo continues to enjoy the presumption of innocence as there is no judgment to date finding her guilty of any crime,” he added.
National Unity Party Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. of Cavite said, “What more perfect gift could we give someone who had given much of her time in the service of the Filipino people, than a bit of time for her to celebrate Christmas with her family right in her own home.”
“She may be facing charges,
nonbailable at that, but yet she has to be convicted. And that is aside the fact she is no flight risk,” he said, adding, “She is a former president, presently a lawmaker, she is a woman, she is sick, compassion is in order.”
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. has also expressed support to the Sandiganbayan’s order, “I’m fully for it for humanitarian reasons.”